Gulfstream has opened an 8,170m² (88,000ft²) paint facility at its Savannah headquarters, specifically for in-service aircraft. The decision was prompted by the increasing number of Gulfstream owners looking to refresh their aircraft.
“Demand for new Gulfstream aircraft is strong and so is the demand for enhancing aircraft already in service,” says Joe Rivera, vice-president and general manager for the Savannah service centre.
“This new facility gives customers a dedicated space for our product support organisation to tackle their paint requests – from full strip-and-paint jobs to custom livery and logo applications."
The paint shop’s proximity to the service centre makes it an ideal location for customers who need maintenance and/or refurbishment work to go along with painting an individual part, multiple parts or even the entire aircraft, Rivera adds.
According to Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database, the global fleet of Gulfstream business jet totals nearly 2,000, of which around 1,300 are based in North America.
Meanwhile, rival Textron Aviation has secured US Federal Aviation Approval for four company-owned service facilities to expand their capabilities across the Beechcraft and Cessna product lines.
The bases in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Newburgh, New York, can now support King Air 90, 200 and 300-series twin-engined turboprops and the Hawker 125-based business jet family.
Facilities in Wilmington, Delaware, and Atlanta, Georgia, are now authorised to service Citation X, Sovereign and Excel-series aircraft as well as the entry-level Mustang.
The expanded capability will be implemented across all 21 Textron Aviation-owned service centres by year-end, the company says.
Source: Flight International
